Platen-shift mechanism for type-writers.



' G. A. SMITH. 'PLATEN SHIFT MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W/TNESgES @m izz/M e. A. SMIT H. PLATEN SHIFTMEGHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.17, 1906.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

. lowing is a specification.

i UNITED srarns PATENT onrion.

GEORGE AISMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG-NOR OF SIXTEENONE-HUNDRED-AND-FOURTHS TO JAMES W. HENNESSEY, OF NEW YORK, N; Y.,FORTY-SIX ONE-HUNDRED-AND-FOURTHS TO ARTHUR LETTS, OF LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA, AND TWENTY-ONE ONE-HUNDRED- AND-FOURTHS TO FREDERICK H.WARD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PLA'I'EN-SHIFT MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Jan. .19, 1909.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. SMITH, a Qitizen of the United- States ofAmerica, and a resident of. the city, county, and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Platen-ShiftMechanism for Type-VVriters, of which the fol- My invention relates totypewriters and more particularly toplaten shifts fortypewriters,'-having among its objects .to provide a simplified, form ofplaten shift which possesses all of they positive merits of simplicitand acility of repairing, cleaning, etc., and a decidedly reduced costofmanufacture. v Further, my invention" hassamong its'obiectsto providean improved system of platen shift levers operating at the rear andbeneath the platen which socombines its pivots, levers, andothermechanical parts as to render the machine more easily operated. Withthese andjother objects in view, my invention consists in a platen shiftembodying the improvements construction and combination of partshereinafter'described and claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawings illustrating myinvention: Figurefll is aplan view army improved platen shift. Fig. 2 is a. transverse verticalsectional. view on 'line .2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of...

my improved locking device. I I I Similarcharacters of reference denotecorresponding :parts 'throughoutfthe several VIEWS.

1 denotes the frame made in any desired form; Aboveit is the. carriage 2movable on a rail 3 at the rear of the machine Shift levers 4 4 havingkeys 5 and 6 respectively on the left and righthand sides extendrearwaaxlly along the sides of the. machine, findin a pivot on-alongitudinally extending r 7 near-the rear wall of the frame 1. In theirintermediate portions, said shiftlevers are again pivoted at 8 to'theslotted vertical arms 9 9 ,moving .witlra vertical reciprocating motionon an upper longitudinally extending. rod 10, suitably supported in thecomprising strength, accessibility forvuse of such a ribbon.

adapted tc .;;row its movement on said rod 10 and its disengagement fromsaid rod when desired. One of the said vertical arms, 9, is pivoted by ascrew pivot 33 to a horizontal link 12 securely fastened at its rearmost extremity to a platen shift rod 13 near one end thereof, which issuitably supported in the sides of the frame 1. Said rod 13 is providedat any suitable point, preferably near the center, with an upri htrearwardly slanting arm 14 having a orked end 15. Received in saidforked end 15 and actuated by the movement of said arm 1,4, is a platenoperating rod .16 carried by downwardly extending links 17; said linksbeing rigid at their upper extremities toa revoluble rod 18 supported inperforations in the sides 19 of the carriage 2. Integrsl'with links 17and actuated by the movement of said links,

and of the rod 18, are forwardiyextending platen-lifting hooks 20 whichextend between the sides of the carriage 2 and the platen 21, and engagethe platen carrying rod 22. Said platenrod moves with a verticalreciprocating motion in vertical slots v23 in the. sides 19 of thecarriage 2, and 1s held within said slots by a removable slide 24 heldby a set screw. Carried by the forked arm 14:, is a rearwardly extendingarm 25 passing beneath and actuating a bichrome ribbon operating rod 26which allows the 7 Also, securely fastened to said platen shift'rod 13,near one side of the frame 1, is an upwardly projecting pin 27. 'Abovesaid pin 27 and pivoted by a screw 28 to the side of the frame 1, is arearwardly extending locking arm 29 provided on its lower edge with anotch 30,

. adapt-ed tobe engagedby the pin 27 on the forward movement of theplaten shift rod 13 and tothus'retain the-platen in the uppercaseposition. Saidarm 29 is provided at its free end with-alhorizontalpin 31.

At the. left hand side of the frameisan unlocking shift lever 4operating likethe other lever 4* at the right hand side of the machinealready described, and this is arplaten.

ranged in conjunction with the lever 9. The upper extremity of saidlever 9 is pivoted to an arm 32, carrying an unlocking cam 32?, andmovably pivoted on the platen shift rod 13 adjacent to the pin 9-? andadapted to forced beneatlr'thc projecting pin 31, raising the arm 29 andcausing the disengagement of the pin 27 from the notch 30 whenever thekey 5 is depressed. The hub of the cam 32 which surrounds the rod 18 isslotted as indicated at 40, and pin 41 carried by the shift rod lies insuch slot. This arrangement permits the key 6 to be depressed, and theplaten shifted and locked by the pin 27 engaging with the latch orlocking arm 29, without any movement being communicated to the key 5 andits carrying lever 4. After this disengagement, the cam 32 assumes itsnormal position on the release of the actuating lever 4, thus allowingthe return of'the platen to the lower case.

The operation of my improved platen shift is as follows: ith the shiftlevers in the position shown in Fig. 2, by a slight downward pressure onthe key 6, at the right hand side of the machine, the shift lever 4 islowered, drawing down the vertical arm 9 until the transverse rod 10encounters the upper wall of the vertical slot 11. By this movement theforward extremity of the link 12 is depressed and as said link 12 isrigid on the platen shift rod 13, said rod 13 is slightly turned towardthe front, similarly actuating the rearwardly slanting forked arm 14,which in turn causes the forward movement of the rod 16. Said mediatelylowered by a downward pressureon the shift key 5 at the left hand sideof the machine which through the arm 32 and .pin 41 operates the platenshift rod 13, but

at the same time through cam 32 throws out of operation the platenlocking means, allowing the parts to immediately come back to normalposition the moment the key is released.

Foremost among the advantages of my in vention is its utilization of animproved system of levers and pivots by which the movement of the shiftkey is'transmitted to the Another of the advantages of my improvedplaten shift is its simplicity, since its combinations of mechanicalparts are so arranged and constructed as to appreciably decrease thenumber of parts employed. Again, such parts are so arranged as to bemore easily operated than those in present use; to be of strongerconstruction and to be inpre accessible for cleaning, repairing, etc.Further, by a utilization of rods at the rear and beneath the platen andinclosed in the frame, a 'inore finished appearance is given to t'l 16l111.0lll118 through the elimination of the visible forward rods, arms,levers, etc., heretofore so commonly employed in other machines.

Having thusdescribed my invention what I- elaim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a typewriter, the combination of a platem a platen shift rodactuating said platen, and a means of actuating said-platen shift rodconsisting of a shift lever, a verticalslotted arm pivoted to saidlever, the slot 8 therein being opened at one side, a rod supported inthe frame lying in the said slot and a link connecting said arm and saiplaten shift rod.

in a typewriter, the combination of a platen, a platen shift rod, arevoluble rod,- an arm carried by the shift rod, a link carried by therevoluble rod and adapted to be engagedby the said arm, whereby motionis transmitted from the shift rod to the revoluble rod, andhooks carriedby the revoluble rod fonsupporting the platen arranged to lift thelatter when the platen shift rod is actuated, substantially as setforth. v

3. In a typewriter, the combination with a shift rod extendingtransversely of the typewriter, of a locking means mounted at one end'of the said shift rod, the said looking meanscomprising a notched armpivoted to the frame and a pin engaging therewith carried'by the shiftrod, a shiftv lever at the opposite end for moving the shift rod andoperating the locking means, a separate shift lever on the same side ofthe typewriter as the locking means, and a cam connected with theseparate shift lever and operating to release the locking means after ithas been set by the first mentioned shift ever.

4; In a typewriter, the combinatio with a platen, of a platen shift rod,a means of actuating said rod, a forked arm actuated by said rod, a rodactuated by said forked arm, links pivoted to said rod, 2. revoluble rodmoving with said links, and hooks moving with said links, said hooksengaging the ends of said platen.

5. In a typewriter, the combination with a platen, of a platen shiftrod, a means of actuating said platen shift rod consisting of a shiftlever, a vertical arm pivoted to said lever, a link pivoted to the upperextremity of said lever and pivoted to said platen Signed at New Yorkcity this-13th day shiitdrod, a .foxgikelgl arm gcguafieiii bysaidlrolcii, of December 1906.

a r actuate y sai or 'e arm, in s e pivoted to said rod, a revoluble rodmoving. i GEORGE SMITH 5 with said links, ahd hooks moving with saidWitnesses:

links, said hooks engaging the ends of said. I JoHN H. HAZELTON,

platen. C. B. SGBRODER.

